Oscar Contender Steven McQueen Announces New Project

Steve McQueen has announced his next project.

HBO confirmed that the British filmmaker will move to the small screen for a drama that centers on a young African-American man who is entering New York high society, with a past that may not be what it seems.

McQueen will team up with Matthew Michael Carnahan ("World War Z") to write the film and will also direct the project. The project will also reunite McQueen with his "Shame" producers Iain Canning and Emil Sherman, as well Russell Simmons, who will serve as an executive producer.

McQueen's third film, "12 Years a Slave," was recently released and has garnered universal praise. The film made its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival where critics hailed it as the Best Picture front-runner and the film is currently performing strong at the box office.

McQueen's second feature,"Shame," similarly garnered acclaim as well after premiering at the Venice Film Festival where it won Best Actor for Michael Fassbender. However, the film proved controversial due to its explicit nudity and sex scenes.

McQueen made his feature film debut in 2008 with "Hunger." The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival where it competed in the Un Certain Regard sidebar. The film later played to critical acclaim in the U.S. and U.K.

HBO has recently signed critically acclaimed directors for various original TV movies and series. Recently, Steven Soderbergh directed the company's Emmy winner "Behind the Candelabra" starring Michael Douglass and Matt Damon. The company also had Todd Haynes direct "Mildred Pierce" with Kate Winslet, and David Mamet recently helmed "Phil Spector" with Helen Mirren and Al Pacino.